Bicycle.



N0. 655,5!6. PatentedAug. 7, I900 J. C. ROBBINS.

BICYCLE.

, (Application filed In. 17, 1899.) (86 Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l,

No. 655,5I6. Patented Au 7, I900.

' J. c. ROBBINS.

BICYCLE.

(Application filed Mat. 17, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet z,

No. 655,5l6. Patented Aug; 7, I900. J. C. ROBBINS.

BICYCLE.

7 (Application filed Km. 17, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Nrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. ROBBINS, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WALTHAM MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MAINE.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 655,516, dated August '7, 1900. Application filed March 1'7, 1829. Serial No. 709,535. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN C. ROBBINS, of 'Waltham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles; and I hereby declare that the following is a full,'clear, and exact description of the-same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of bicycles in which pivoted levers connected with clutch mechanism on the driven wheel are used as driving devices.

One object of the invention is to improve the bicycle-frame with reference to the mounting and supporting of the levers.

Another object of the invention is to more thoroughly support the levers at the lower portion of the stroke and to overcome the downward impulse thereof at this point.

Another object of theinvention is to provide a means for more rapidly returning the clutch and rewinding the lever connection thereon.

Another object of the invention is to improve the construction of the clutch and the mechanism coacting therewith.

The invention consists in the frame, the levers pivotally mounted thereon, and the cushion-stops for the levers.

The invention consists in the construction of the cushion lever-stops.

The invention consists in the tubular members of the rear fork and the retracting device contained therein.

The invention consists in the construction of the clutch mechanisms and in the manner in which they are mounted.

The invention consists in the frame, the driven wheel and clutch mechanisms rotatable therein, the levers pivoted on the frame, the connections between the levers and the clutch members, and the means for reversing the action of the clutch mechanisms to retract the lever connections.

The invention consists in such othernovel features of construction and combination of parts as will hereinafter be more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the improved bicycle, indicating the operation of the levers. Fig. 2 represents an enlarged view of the lower portion of the frame, partly vation of portions of the frame, showing thecushion lever-stops. Fig. 4 represents a side elevation of the same portions, partly in vertie'al section, Fig. 5 being a perspective view of the lever-stop guide. Fig. 6 represents a plan view of the rear-Wheel hub and its clutch mechanism, partially in section and in relation to the rear fork-arms. Fig. 7 represents an end view of one of the clutch-adjusting disks and bearings. Fig. 8 represents an end view, partially in section, of one of the clutch members.

Similarnumbers of reference designate corresponding parts throughout.

In the drawings the frame comprises the head 5, connected by the members 6 and 7, respectively, with the upper and lower portions of the member 8, rearwardly from which 'extend the members 9 and 10, connected by the fitting 11 and forming one side of the rear fork. These various members are of the usual tubular construction, but in addition the member 8 is furnished with the depending casing 12, and the members, as 10, are open at their ends,"being provided at the for ward ends with the screw-caps 13.

In the fitting forming the juncture between I the members 6, 8, and 9 is mounted a crossshaft 14, on which a pair of idle pulleys, as 15, are journaled, and in the member 8 is secured at each side a rotatable buffer, as 16. Within the casing 12 is screwed the cap 17, perforated at its center and having the inwardly-extending sleeve 18. The bolt 19 and its sleeve 20 are reciprocal in the perforation of this cap 17 and has at its upper end the washer 21 and nut 22, between which washer and the cap 17 is located the coiled spring 23. At the lower end of the sleeve 20 is secured the guide-plate 24:, having a U-"shaped portion which partially embraces the member 8, and the lower end of the bolt 19 is formed in the shape of a cross-sleeve, in which is mounted the shaft 25, carrying the buffer-rolls 26 26.

Within the lower member 10 is secured the forward end of the coiled springr27, the rear end of which is fastened to the tube 28, contained within the convolutions of the spring, and against the forward end of this tube bears the nut 29, having the tubular extension 30, having the enlarged rear end, into which the take-up screw 31 engages, whereby the turning of the nut 29 causes the taking up or letting out of the screw 31 to adjust the tension of the spring 27 on the flexible band 32, forming a connection with the .clutch mechanism,

as will hereinafter be described.

On the side members, as 10, are fittings, as 33, in which are pivotally mounted, preferably by means of antifriction-bearings, the operating-levers,'as 34, which in the retracted position extend upward to the buffers, as 16, and

then curve slightly forward. 0n the forward ends of these levers are mounted any suitable construction of pedals designed to engage the foot of the rider, and to these forward ends of the lever are secured connections, herein 1 shown as chains 35, which work over theidle pulleys, as 15, and are connected with the clutch mechanisms.

reduced.

line with the slots, as 11, in which the shaft for the rear wheel may be secured in the usual manner, forming a strong structure, as-all the pressure brought on this member 9 is supported directly by said shaft.

The rear-wheelshaft 36 is secured in the slotted portions of the fittings 11 by means of the cones, as 37, screwed on the shaft between said fittings and the nuts 38 38 screwing on theends of said shaft. Also mounted on this shaft at each end portion are the doublez cones, as 39 and 40, the cone 39 having the pins 41 and 41, while the cone has the; sleeve 42 extending through the larger bore I of the cone 39 to meet the sleeve of the cone 37 and having theslot 43 engaged with said pin 41.

Bearing on the inner ways of the cones, as 40, are series of balls, as 44, on which the internal ways of the clutch members 45 rorate. These clutch members have the screwsleeves, as 46, on which the wheel-hub 47 is screwed. The outer ends of the clutch members are enlarged in diameter, and in the peripheries of these portions are formed clutch step-pockets 48, (more clearly shown in Fig. 8,) which are concave in crosssection.

Embracing the contracted portions of the clutch members are the chain-pulleys 49 49, to which the rear ends of the connections or chains, as 35, are secured. These pulleys have the collars 50, carrying in perforations the spring-pressed pins 51 and having the inner hallways 52, which bear on the balls 53 in the clutch-pockets.

Screwed into the collars 50 of the chainpulleys are the hallways, as 54, of the adjusting and journaling member 55, which hallways also bear against the balls 53,whi1e at the central portion of the member is the sleeve 56, which bears on the balls working between the cones 37 and 39 and those between the cones 39 and 4'0. "The outer ends of the sleeve 56 form band-pulleyshaving the flanges 57 and provided with pins 58, on which the ends of the bands or strips 32 are secured, and the peripheries of the members are furnished with notches 59, in which the pins 51 may engage.

VV-hen the chains are alternately drawn from the chain-pulleys 49 by the depression of the free ends of the levers 34, the ballsz'53 are carried along by gravity or frictional contact with the hallways 52 and :54 until the outward inclinationaof the clultch-pockets prevents their further independentmovement,- f and they :(the balls) form locking devices bietween-the chain-pulleys and the clutch members with the rear wheel, thus causing the forward rotation of the wheel and winding up the bands 32 on the sleeves 56 :against the stress of the springs 27. -At the release of the leversthe-retractive .action of the springs 27 tends to reversely rotate the members 55 with the chain-pulleys, causing the rewinding of the chains ontt-heir respective pulleys. The downward movement of the levers continues until they alternately strike the buffer-rolls 26 and carry the same downward against the resistance of the spring 23 until the momentum is overcome, when this-spring assists in the recovery at the beginning of the upstroke of the levers. The spring-buffer also serves to limit the downward movement of the lever when the chain breaks or is thrown from the pulleys 14, thus holding the free end of the lever from striking the ground. The guide '24 prevents the turning of the bolt 19 to a position where the buffers 26 would not intercept the levers.

Increased strengthand action are obtained in the retracting device by locating thesame in the frame members, as .1-O,;and a longer stroke and more prompt response may be obtained thereby.

By the tightening or loosening of the cone 37 the double cones 39 and 40 are adjusted simultaneously to bring more or less friction on the small balls as well as on'the large balls between the inner end of the cone 40 andthe inner ballway of the clutch member.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a bicycle-frame having the side members 9 and 10, the rear fittings 11 having sockets whereby the side members are connected in pairs and are located within the vertical inner surface plane of said fittings, of a clutch mounted to lotate between the plates of said fittings and having drums located in line with the members 10, spring tension devices contained within the members 10, and connections between the tension devices and said drums.

2. A lever-bicycle having a frame member 8, a casing on said member, a spring-supported slide in said casing, and laterally-extending buffers mounted at the lower end of said slide.

3. A lever-bicycle having the frame member 8 furnished with the casing 12, the cap 17 secured in the lower end of said casing, the spring 23 mounted on the cap, the bolt 19, reciprocal through the perforation in the cap and provided with the washer 12 bearing on the spring, and having a cross-sleeve at its lower end, and a shaft supported in said sleeve and carrying buffers.

4. The combination with the frame member.10, of the spring tension device contained therein and comprising the spring 27 secured to said frame member, the tube 28 secured to the opposite end of the spring, the nut 29 bearing on the forward end of the tube 28 and having the tubular portion 30, the screw 31 screwed into said tube 30 and a clutch connection extending from the screw 31.

5. A clutch for alever-driven bicycle, comprising a clutch member secured to the wheelhub and having ball-pockets in its periphery, balls in the pockets, a chain-pulley having a collar embracing the clutch member and having a hallway bearing on the balls, a faceplate secured in said collar and having a ballway complemental to that of the collar, and a laterally-extending sleeve, and bearings on which said sleeve may rotate.

6. In a clutch for a lever-driven bicycle, the combination with the shaft 36 the cone 37 screwed thereon and having a sleeve, the double cone 4O sliding on the shaft and having a sleeve, the double cone 39 mounted on the sleeves of the cones 37 and 40, means for preventing the independent rotation of either cone, and balls between the cones, of the plate 55 having the laterally-extending sleeve 56 bearing on said balls, the balls 44 bearing on the inner face of the cone 40, and clutch a sleeve working on the balls 44.

7. The combination with the shaft 36, the cone 37 screwed thereon, the double cone free to slide thereon, the double cone 39 mounted on' the sleeves of the cones 37 and 40, balls between the cones, the plate 55 having the sleeve 56 mounted on said balls and having the end flange 57, said plate 56 also having the notched periphery, and the annular hallway 54, and the chain-pulley 49 having the collar 50, adjustably secured to the plate 55, having the hallway 52 and means for engaging the notched periphery of the plate 55, of the wheel-hub, the clutch member secured thereto and embracing a portion of the sleeve 55 and having at this portion a pocketed periphery, balls in the pockets bearing on the ways 52 and 54, and balls between the inner face of the cone 40 and the inner surface of the clutch member, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. The combination with the frame having the upper member 6, the inclined member 8 and the fork members 9 and 10, the shaft 14 secured in said frame adjacent to the upper end of the member 9, the idle pulley 15 on said shaft, the stop 16 secured to the member 8, and a stop or buffer at the lower portion of the frame, of a clutch mounted in the rear fork, a lever pivotally mounted on the member 10 and adapted to swing between the stops, and a flexible connection, between the lever and the clutch, which works over the pulley 15, as described.

JOHN C. ROBBINS.

Witnesses:

W. STANLEY CAMPBELL, HENRY J. MILLER. 

